Grappling with medical controversies.  Examining the issues.  Working to provide an unbiased, reliable forum for sharing ideas and information.   Connecting readers and seeking answers to ‘invisible’ health issues such as Lyme, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and thyroid issues, as well as more ‘common’ issues, such as cancer, osteoporosis, and allergies. The Townsend Letter has been working since 1983 on this.

The idea of government overreach is a familiar one, and since the early issues, the Townsend Letter has worked on behalf of so-called ‘alternative’ medicine, and make sure readers are aware when products are at risk of becoming illegal.  There are a number of supplements and natural treatments, for instance, that the FDA has labeled as ‘unsafe’, which need to gain approval for use, but the approval process is so difficult and expensive that companies cannot afford the process.  Patients and consumers end up paying the price.  The FDA is working to eliminate access to a number of supplements, including NAC, and the USP is working to Restrict Best Use Dates of Compounded Hormones and Medications, based on a biased study. If the ‘useful’ window of a product is small enough, it limits options and availability.

Read on, for links to see what is going on, and if you’re so inclined, on some of these topics, these links right here will help you connect with the individuals who need to hear from you. Let’s use our voices!

Find Your US Representative Find Your Senators Contact the FDA

Have YOU used Bioidentical Hormones?  Have you prescribed them to your patients?                     YOU HAVE A VOICE.                         New testimonials about compounded hormones: More than 100 new patient testimonials have been added to the APC collection of more than 5,000, which come from patients and prescribers, and are essential for engaging patients and members of Congress in pushing back against FDA overreach, and keeping hormones legal. To read the campaign testimonials and submit one of your own, go to compounding.com.

Your Access To Use And Prescribe Compounded Hormones Is At Risk.
Take Action Now. Get Involved. Tell Your Story.
CBHRTCoalition.org

FOR FURTHER EDUCATION ON THE TOPIC, READ: Safety and efficacy of compounded bioidentical hormone therapy (cBHT) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

THE FDA, NASEM, and compounded hormones: 
When the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released its FDA-funded report on cBHT in July 2020—including a recommendation for across-the-board restrictions on compounded hormones—FDA issued a public statement saying they would base its next steps on compounded hormones on that NASEM report.  We’re talking therapies that MILLIONS of patients rely on for their health and quality of life, no longer an option, illegal, based on a report compromised by potential bias, conflicts of interest and bad science.
What makes this okay?  Read more via the links below, decide what you think, then please tell your elected officials (and us)!!  Get involved more directly at compounding.com and a4pc.org.

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO THE FULL TEXT CLICK HERE FOR THE NAMS PAPER

Don’t think the FDA’s threat to restrict compounded hormones was serious?
Consider this letter, sent TO 22 members of Congress, BY the FDA!

FDA releases final animal compounding GFI

FDA has released the final version of its Guidance for Industry #256 on animal drug compounding. APC is reviewing the document; you can read the 22-page PDF here.

APC will provide more information on GFI #256 after they’ve had time to analyze it. Click for more info.

The Supplements You Use – Are They Safe?

The Biden Administration recently released its budget, and the FDA budget clearly and specifically requests that Congress provide FDA the funding and legislative authority for mandatory dietary supplement product listing. The FDA is on record as wanting to require supplement manufacturers to register each product they make, including all the ingredients of those products, with the FDA. This sounds good, but it has NOTHING to do with going after companies that break the law, and use illegal ingredients, and EVERYTHING to do with money.

In spite of years of safe use, supplements are still under attack by the FDA.
The FDA’s proposed plan concerning supplement ingredients is expected to eliminate consumer access more than 40,000 products.  Read more!